Happy New Year 2006!

I wish everyone a joyous, healthy, and prosperous New Year.

Best,
Paz

Weekend Herb Blogging #13 - Mistletoe

Mistletoe growing on tree branch

The mistletoe has leathery, pointy, green leaves with white or red berries. Its flowers come in different colors that range from green, yellow, to bright red. Spread by birds, the mistletoe is a parasitic plant. There are two types of mistletoes -- One is native to North America (American mistletoe) and Europe (European Mistletoe).

A common Christmas tradition in the U.S. is to hang mistletoe over a doorway, so that when two people stand underneath, they are supposed to kiss each other. Although mistletoe has healing properties, it is poisonous. So, when hung in the home, you have to make sure to keep it away from children and pets.

Some of the myths associated with mistletoe are that they had the power to raise the dead (Vikings in the 8th century) and they were responsible for miracles (Druids in the 1st century Britain).

The origins of kissing under the mistletoe come from two Viking beliefs: First, that it influenced fertility and second, from a story about Frigga the Norse goddess of love. After she was able to remove poisonous mistletoes from her son, Baldur, and he came back to life, she kissed everyone underneath a mistletoe out of happiness and gratitude. You can find more info on mistletoe here and here.

The correct mistletoe etiquette is as follows: After a man kisses the woman under the mistletoe, he must remove one berry from the plant. When the berries are gone, nobody can kiss under the mistletoe anymore.

There is also a belief that if an unmarried woman is not kissed under the mistletoe, she will remain single for another year.

So, next time you see mistletoe hanging over the doorway, give us a kiss and don't forget to practice the correct mistletoe etiquette. ;-)

Check out Kalyn's Kitchen for a list of other Weekend Herb Blogging posts on Monday. Thanks, Kalyn!

Paz

Give us a kiss

*For Weekend Herb Blogging, one can post about herbs, plants, vegetables or flowers.

More Weekend Dog Blogging #15

My name's Oceane (most of the time people call me Oce), I'm 7 years old. My dad was a collie and my mum an husky, therefore I look like a fox ;)

The pics were taken my one of my owners Cindy, I hate pictures, you should know that... it seems that Cindy doesn't know coz she keeps photographing me, can't she see I don't like that ?

Anyways, on the first one, I was almost sleeping. On the second, I heard a noise so raised my ears. Hope I look pretty enough :)

Ed. Note: This is Cindy's dog. She has a fabulous food blog (in French) which is mainly for recipes, so I'm posting Oceane's photo here. Cindy recently started another blog in English.

Check out Sweetnicks for the roundup of all the Weekend Dog Blogging posts, Sunday evening. THANKS, Sweetnicks!

Weekend Dog Blogging #15

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2006 from us!

Ed. Note: Check out the other Weekend Dog Blogging posts, Sunday evening, here. Thanks, Sweetnicks!

Empanadas Chilenas

When I start a cooking adventure, I never know what to expect. Sometimes the road is straight and smooth. Other times, there are bumps, twists, turns, and forks in the road, so that I don't know which path to take.

I had that type of experience when I decided to make the dessert empanadas that I saw on Cooking Diva. The recipes involved empanadas with choice fillings of either guava or pineapple. I'd never tasted that before. I love guava and was anxious to make them for the holiday season.

I bought the ingredients and followed the instructions. I made the dough and refrigerated it. When I pulled the dough from the fridge, it became soft again. So soft that I couldn't roll it, couldn't do anything. The dough became stickier and sticker, clinging to my hands and fingers and the rolling pin. I put a little more flour on it and the board, hoping that would solve the problem. It didn't help.

After contacting Melissa Cooking Diva about my problem, she told me that this particular dough is delicate and some of her students can't work it out because their body temperature is too high, causing them to have hot hands. Perhaps that could have been my problem, too. I'd never heard of that before and found it very interesting. Funny in my case, because usually when people shake my hands, especially in the winter time, I'm told that I have cold hands (to which I reply cold hands, warm heart).

I put the dough back in the fridge (I didn't want to throw it away) and Melissa sent me another recipe -- one for traditional empanada dough. It could be used for both dessert and meat empanadas.

At this point, I'd reached the fork in the road and had to decide which road to take, the left or the right -- the meat or the dessert empanada? I decided to make the meat. This time, with the second recipe, I didn't have a problem with the dough. I made the shell and put the meat filling inside.

The meat filling was easy to make and involved potatoes, tomatoes, raisins, green olives, dried oregano, salt, ground black pepperand dried thyme. I didn't have any raisins or green olives. So, I left them out.

My empanadas didn't taste bad at all except that they came out kind of thick. Next time I'll make sure to roll the dough even thinner. I plan on perfecting my empanada-making skills.
By the way, part of the ingredients for the dough called for vegetable shortening in addition to butter. I omitted the vegetable shortening. I'm not sure what difference it made. Perhaps if you read this, Melissa or anyone else who knows can tell me. Here's the recipe for Empanadas Chilenas.

What happened to the guava empanadas, pineapple mini pies, and the delicate dough that I put back into the fridge? I plan on making them and using the dough very soon. Wish me luck!

Paz

The chilled dough



Preparing the dough



Preparing the beef filling



Going into the oven

Ed. Note: The initial recipe calls for using whole wheat flour in addtion to all purpose flour. Melissa CookingDiva says: "You can try to make the dough just using all purpose flour. It is not common to find empanadas made with whole wheat flour, and the flavor changes completetly." Thanks for all your help, Melissa!

Christmassy Banana Cake

For a second time in a row, we had a whole bunch of overripe bananas, so I decided to make banana cake again. This time, I used Pille's recipe, which she calls Christmassy Banana Cake. Unlike the other cake I made, this has slightly more ingredients -- cinnamon, ground ginger, ground cloves, vanilla sugar, and plain yogurt. Also, I added some chopped dark chocolate (that Raquel gave me -- thanks Raquel!) to the ingredients.

After the cake is baked, Pille recommends covering it with chocolate glaze and chopped roasted hazlenuts. She has a delicious sounding chocolate sauce recipe, using Toblerone milk chocolate, to make the sauce (Actually, she couldn't find Toblerone and used instead Tesco Finest Swiss milk chocolate with caramel pieces, which sounds just as good). However, when I was at the supermarket, I saw and picked up a bottle of Hershey's chocolate flavored syrup. I thought that would be easier. It tasted okay. Next time, I'll like to try to make my own chocolate sauce, instead of using the storebought one.

I couldn't find hazelnuts, so instead I used walnuts, which I roasted before topping on the cake. Next time I'll wait for the cake to cool completely before I pour the chocolate sauce on it. ;-) You can find the recipe for the banana cake here. Thanks, Pille!

Paz

The dark chocolate that I used (thanks to Raquel) in the ingredients

New York Monday #6 - Columbus Circle

A few weeks ago on Columbus Circle.
Paz

Happy Hanukkah - December 26, 2005

Festival of Lights

More Christmas Weekend Dog Blogging - The Three Kings

They brought Him gold, frankincense and grrr...

Here is a Christmas card from some friends -- Zuzu, Harry, and Willy. The three Kings are so regal-looking, I thought I'd share. ;-)

Paz

Christmas Weekend Dog Blogging - Enjoying Presents

Enjoying Christmas treats, especially sent all the way from Vienna, Austria. Thanks flying Apple! We love them! Happy Birthday, Gino! We love you!

*Weekend Dog Blogging has been officially cancelled this holiday weekend.

Christmas Day, December 25, 2005

"For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given..."

Merry Christmas!
Paz

Christmas Tree

"What is Christmas? It is tenderness for the past, courage for the present, hope for the future. It is a fervent wish that every cup may overflow with blessings rich and eternal, and that every path may lead to peace." -- Agnes M. Pharo

Weekend Herb Blogging #12 - Holly

The first verse of Deck the Halls, a popular carol sung during the Christmas season, is as follows:

Deck the halls with boughs of holly,
Fa la la la la la, la la la la.
Tis the season to be jolly,
Fa la la la la la, la la la la.
Don we now our gay apparel,
Fa la la, la la la, la la la.
Troll the ancient Yuletide carol,
Fa la la la la la, la la la la.

As I was walking, I passed a flower store that had a display of holly for sale. Ahhh! Just in time for Weekend Herb Blogging #12! Time to pull out the camera. Luckily, I was able to take a photo before the camera indicated that it needed a battery recharge and promptly shut down on me.

Hollies are used as ornamental plants in gardens and parks, and many Western cultures use it for traditional Christmas decorations, like a wreaths. For more info on holly, you can look here.

If anyone is interested, below are the complete lyrics to Deck the Halls. This carol is Welsh in origin and was popular in the 18th century. Have you ever wondered why are there so many repeated fa la la la la la la la las in the song? Apparently, these words were widely used in medieval ballads and madrigals. You can also find more info and listen to the carol here.

Let's have a sing-a-long, everyone!

Paz ;-)


Deck the Halls

Deck the halls with boughs of holly,
Fa la la la la la, la la la la.
Tis the season to be jolly,
Fa la la la la la, la la la la.
Don we now our gay apparel,
Fa la la, la la la, la la la.
Troll the ancient Yuletide carol,
Fa la la la la la, la la la la.

See the blazing Yule before us,
Fa la la la la la, la la la la.
Strike the harp and join the chorus.
Fa la la la la la, la la la la.
Follow me in merry measure,
Fa la la, la la la, la la la.
While I tell of Yuletide treasure,
Fa la la la la la, la la la la.

Fast away the old year passes,
Fa la la la la la, la la la la.
Hail the new, ye lads and lasses,
Fa la la, la la la, la la la.
Sing we joyous, all together,
Fa la la la la la, la la la la.
Heedless of the wind and weather,
Fa la la la la la, la la la la.

Ed. Note: Check out Kalyn's Kitchen on Monday to see a list of other fun and interesting Weekend Herb Blogging posts!

Happy Holidays!

Happy Holidays, everyone. I wish you all peace, love, hope, and joy during this season and always.

Best,
Paz

Algerian Spicy Tripe

There are many foods I never cared for until I started cooking. Soups are one of them. Now, I enjoy the different soups that I make (like the one here). My latest soup comes from a recipe of Chef Farid -- Algerian Spicy Tripe.

The ingredients were easy to obtain and prepare -- tripe, tomatoes, onions, hot green chilies, garlic, caraway seeds, paprika, spice blend, salt and pepper.

For my spice blend, I put together 1 tsp cumin, 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper, and 1 tsp coriander. It wasn't bad at all. The tripe turned out soft and almost buttery tasting. I added chick peas to the soup and when it was ready, topped it off with cilantro. What a good soup to have on a cold day.

Sauteed onions with the rest of the vegetables


Ingredients covered with water and seasoned with salt and pepper


Boiled tripe

You can find the recipe for this body warming soup here.

Best,
Paz

Plantain Stir Fried With Spices (Arati Kaaya Masala Vepudu)

Plantain, oh plantain. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways. I've mentioned several times that plantains are one of my favorite foods. I love you any way you're prepared. Fried, boiled, baked, mashed, sliced, whole... plain, fancy....

Here's one new way I've learned from Sailu. I've never before made plantain with so many spices -- Fresh green chilies, red chili powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, fennel seeds powder, garam masala powder, and mustard seeds. Wow!

In addition, the recipe calls for using curry leaves and freshly grated coconut. I'm not sure what curry leaves are and don't know where to find them and I have no idea where to get fresh coconuts. It's not readily available in my supermarket or grocery store. So I had to leave them out.

My plantains came out hot, spicy, and delicious. Perfect for me. I'll be making this recipe again. You can find the recipe here. Thanks Sailu!

Paz

The beginning stages of preparation

New York Monday #5 - Possible Transit Strike

This holiday season, New York faces a city wide bus and subway transit strike, Tuesday, 12 midnight. The transit workers union and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority can't come to terms with an acceptable contract.

Everyday, over 7 million riders heavily rely on public transportation and if a strike occurs it will be a disaster for the city. The strike will cost the city hundreds of millions of dollars a day, not to mention just being a big pain to the average person simply trying to get from one destination to another....

Paz

Weekend Herb Blogging # 11 - Red Cabbage

Red cabbage is also known as Red Kraut or Blue Kraut after it's prepared. Its leaves are originally mauve colored. However, depending on the pH value of the soil, it can have a different color (redish or bluish). The way it's prepared in a meal also affects its color.

I mentioned in my 10 Favorite Foods meme that I liked salads. Here's a nice simple Red Cabbage Salad recipe from The Kitchen Journal. Very tasty. Thank you, Grace!

Check out Kayln's Kitchen, on Sunday, for a list of the other fun Weekend Herb Blogging posts. Thanks, Kayln!

Paz

Red Cabbage Salad

Ingredients:
½ clove of red cabbage (finely shredded)
2 carrots ( grated )
1 white onion ( finely sliced)
2 teaspoons lemon zest (grated)
Juice of 1 lemon
Salt and pepper
6 Tablespoons olive oil

Preparation:
Blanch shredded red cabbage in salted boiling water for 5 seconds and drain in a colander.

In a mixing bowl, mix cabbage, carrots, onion, and lemon zest.

Toss with your fingertips to combine all the ingredients.

Add lemon juice and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Drizzle olive oil.

Toss altogether again until well combined.

Serve as side dish.

The other ingredients that go along with the Red Cabbage Salad

*Started by Kalyn, the only rule for Weekend Herb Blogging is that participants may blog about herbs, plants, vegetables, or flowers.

Weekend Dog Blogging # 14

Each time I make Stephen's Corn on the Cob with Basil Butter, it's a big hit. Everyone likes it, including the dogs.

To see the roundup of other weekend dog blogger posts, go to Sweetnicks where they're listed Sunday evening. Thanks, Sweetnicks!

Paz

Tadka Dal (Lentils with Spicy Tempering)

I made my first Indian meal -- Tadka Dal -- with success! Yay, for me! When I stopped by Hooked on Heat, Meena's Lentils with Spicy Tempering called out to me. I had most of the main ingredients from her list on hand, and decided to go for it!

Meena's recipe called for red lentils, an onion, green chillies, tomato, garlic, turmeric powder, red chili powder, cumin seed, fennel seeds, asafoetida powder and ghee (butter).

I didn't have the red lentils and so used green ones. I didn't have the following and omitted them: green chillies, fennel seeds and asafoetida (a spice powder).

Despite my omissions, my Tadka Dal tasted terrific! Not bad of first timer. The weather is incredibly cold in my area and the lentils with its spicy tempering warmed the body and soul. It's the perfect recipe to counteract the effects of a freezing climate and tired body.

I've since learned from Meena that different lentils produce different tastes for the same recipe. So, although the dal I made with green lentils tasted really good, the red lentils would provide another type of delicious taste. As a result, I plan to make it again with the red lentils. I also want to know what the asafoetida tastes like and will look for it.

In the meantime, I made the same lentils (green) again for lunch the next day. It hit the spot, again! You can find the recipe here. Thanks, Meena!

By the way, Meena is hosting a monthly event for all those interested in Indian food called From My Rasoi. Rasoi means kitchen in Hindi. Every month, she'll post a theme and invites participants to come up with a recipe that highlights the "taste of India." For more information, click on the banner below.

Paz

Rich Golden Cake

Sometime ago, Joey of 80 Breakfasts asked the universal question: "Chocolate or Vanilla?" Although she says she's a Chocolate girl, she confesses to having an occasional craving for vanilla. I happen to be the opposite. So, when I saw her recipe for Rich Golden Cake, I saved it immediately. Last night, I had the opportunity to try this cake recipe.

Joey included a nice cake icing recipe, but I had a ready made icing that I'd bought some time ago and chose to use it. It took me 30 minutes to find the icing because we recently had the kitchen painted and everything there has been moved to the living room. I looked in every corner of the room for the icing and couldn't find it. Just when I was about to give up and eat my cake without icing, it appeared.

What kind of icing? Vanilla. Of course.

You can find the recipe here. Thanks, Joey!

Paz

Banana Cake

This snowy weekend, as I was cleaning up, we had a lot of overripe bananas. Inspired by Ilva's Chocolate and Banana Cake and Grace's Banana Cake, instead of throwing them away, I decided to put the bananas to good use and make my first banana cake. I wanted some nuts in the cake and had a handful of leftover sliced almonds, which I added to the cake mix. Next time, I think I'd like something like walnuts better. However, the end result was a delicious cake. I loved the smell of the baked bananas and the taste of it along with the nuts in the cake.

I made my banana cake just in time to watch It's a Wonderful Life on T.V. One of my favorite classic movies, I never get tired of watching it and always get teary eyed at many of the scenes. I have many favorite quotes, which include the following:

"No man is a failure who has friends." -- Clarence

"Teacher says, everytime a bell rings, an angel gets his wings." -- Zuzu Bailey


Now, I'm waiting to see all the different versions of A Christmas Carol. I like them all, including the musical version. Thank you very much! ;-) Have a good day, everyone!

Paz

New York Monday #4 - Holiday Decorations & More Snow

More snow and the city in holiday decorations for the season.

Paz

Weekend Herb Blogging # 10 - Arugula

*Started by Kalyn, the rule for Weekend Herb Blogging is that participants may blog about herbs, plants, vegetables, or flowers.

Arugula, also known as rocket or rocket salad, is considered a leaf vegetable or a type of lettuce. In French, it's known as roquette and in Italian as rucola or rughetta.

In the past, arugula was considered an aphrodisiac and has been grown in the Mediterranean region since Roman times. It's rich in vitamin C and iron and used in salads or cooked with pasta and dry meats.

Arugula plant

Here's a salad recipe -- Cannellini Bean, Red Onion and Arugula -- that I got from Dave Lieberman, a young, new T.V. chef personality on the Food Network station. His goal is to show viewers how to be able to prepare good meals on a low budget. I like the idea of cooking without spending a lot of money because I've found that grocery shopping can become very expensive.

The combination of the buttery cannellini beans, sweet red onions and basil, along with the somewhat peppery arugula, balsamic vinegar, and extra virgin olive oil is delicious. It's worth trying at least once.

Be sure to check out the other Weekend Herb Blogging posts on Kalyn's blog on Sunday. There's always something interesting to see.

Paz

Cannellini Bean, Red Onion, and Arugula Salad

Cannellini Bean, Red Onion, and Arugula Salad

4 (15-ounce) cans cannellini beans
1 medium red onion, thinly sliced (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 bunch arugula, thick stems removed, washed and dried
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
Handful washed basil leaves, roughly chopped
1 teaspoon salt
20 grinds black pepper

Empty the cans of beans into a colander and rinse them briefly under cold water. Drain thoroughly and empty the colander into a large serving bowl. Toss the beans together with the red onion and arugula.

Shake the olive oil, vinegar, chopped basil, salt and pepper in a sealable container until the salt is dissolved. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss well. It's best to make and dress the salad about an hour before you serve it. Let it stand at room temperature, tossing every time you think about it. Just before serving, adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper, to taste.

Weekend Dog Blogging # 13

Snow last week and this week! What's underneath the snow, we wonder?
Sweetnicks lists a roundup of the weekend dog blogging posts, Sunday night. Check it out!

You Are What You Eat Food Meme: My 10 Favorite Foods

VK and Cookiecrumb have tagged me for the latest food meme going around -- My 10 favorite foods. The rules are easy: List your 10 favorite foods and then pick 5 food bloggers to participate.

I like to eat different foods and have many favorites. As I read the food blogs daily, I discover new recipes and continue to find more favorites. For the purposes of this meme, I’ll try to come up with only 10 favorites:

Plantains. I mentioned them in my first meme of childhood food memories. I love plantains and the many ways to make them. Best of all, I like them plainly fried, sprinkled with salt and pepper. I recently discovered Sailu's recipe for plantain prepared Indian style. It involves plantain stir fried with spices – coriander powder, chili powder, fennel seeds, mustard seeds, garam masala powder and more. I can’t wait to try this!

Rice. I’m a rice eater. I like it plain or mixed with other ingredients, like the paella I made or arroz con habichuelas (rice and beans). Oh! Let’s not forget my recent basmati and nut pilaf recipe. That’s my new favorite! I’m anxious to try Grace’s Garlic Fried Rice and Mae Gabriel’s Egg and Garlic Fried Rice.

Mangoes. I mentioned mangoes in my childhood food meme. Love them, especially the green ones, eaten with salt. Yum!

Oxtails. I've written about this in the past. I love oxtails.

Salads. I like different types of salads. Some favorites are my Salad à la Paz and a Tattum’s Salad. Salad I put together from leftovers in the fridge – I liked the crunchy lettuce, red cabbage, juicy tomato, red onion with red wine vinegar and olive oil. A favorite is one I made a while ago. With Tattum’s salad, I loved her honey and lime dressing, the fennel, chives, red onion and broccoli in the salad. Yum! Tomato Feta salad – tastes best if you have really good tomatoes, feta cheese and olive oil. I LOVE the tart, salty taste of the cheese.

Broccoli. I love broccoli, especially in it’s simplest form – steamed or sautéed with some olive oil, salt and red pepper chili flakes; and if there’s some feta cheese around, sprinkled with the cheese.

Corn. Once I discovered Stephen’s Corn on the Cob with Basil Butter, I made it several times! Yes! Definitely a favorite.

Chicken. Some favorites include Craig’s Lime-Garlic Grilled Chicken and Pollo Frito (fried chicken). I look forward to trying My Dhaba’s Tandoori’s Chicken. I have a feeling that will be a favorite.

Fish. Favorites include Salmon Baked in Foil and Bluefish with Crispy Potatoes.

Brazilian Salsa Vinegrette. This is a favorite because of the simple ingredients it contains. Surprisingly, it doesn’t include cilantro, which I love, but it tastes great and goes well with any meat, fish, or chicken.

I could go on, but I've already cheated and snuck in more than 10 favorites, so I'd better stop here.

VK and Cookiecrumb, thanks for tagging me. It's been fun thinking about my favorites, and now I'm extremely hungry.

Next I tag:

Melissa of Cooking Diva

Angelika of The flying Apple

Sailu of Sailu’s Food – Indian Food

Grace of The Kitchen Journal

Raquel of Raquel's Box of Chocolate

Happy eating and blogging!
Paz

Basmati and Nut Pilaf

Once upon a time there was a girl who liked to read food blogs. As she read Michelle’s Oswego Tea, she came across an interesting smoothie recipe – Banana Cardamom Smoothie.

“Cardamom? What’s cardamom?” She asked herself, never having heard, seen or tasted the unfamiliar ingredient.

Later she found out that it’s a popular spice. Spelled two ways – cardamom or cardamon – it comes in two forms (green or white fruit pods that contain tiny brown aromatic seeds, or decorticated seeds without the shell). She learned it’s widely used – from Danish pastries, Saudi Arabian, to North African, Asian, and Indian cooking, and in spice blends like garam masala, curry powder and berbere.

Michelle sent the girl a Basmati and Nut Pilaf recipe. “It’s what introduced me to cardamom,” she let the girl know.

“Rice with cardamom, cumin seed, ground coriander, and black mustard seeds? Oh wow! This should taste interesting,” the girl spoke to herself (She did that a lot.) while reading the ingredient list with interest. Normally a rice eater, she’d never made rice with the spices mentioned in the recipe.

The spices used

Eagerly, the girl set out to go buy the cardamom. She searched high and low in her neighborhood. The people she asked in the grocery stores didn’t know what she talked about or they said that didn’t have it.

So, the girl went out of her area and searched. No luck. She returned to a store in her neighborhood and asked a manager who pointed her to the spice section. In a little bottle, she found the cardamom pods. They’d been there all that time, right under her nose!

Cardamom pods

Although the remaining ingredients for the recipe weren’t hard to find, for one reason or another, it took the girl a little longer to get them. The list called for cashew nuts, but every time the girl would buy the nuts, she’d eat it all before it was time to prepare the meal. This happened twice. She couldn’t find black mustard seeds and used regular mustard seed and instead of sunflower oil used safflower oil.

With everything finally on hand, the girl prepared her meal. Michelle noted that the basmati didn’t require as much stock or water as the recipe recommended. Instead, her basmati took equal parts water to rice, so that’s what the girl used. However, the girl’s rice stayed dry and she ending up adding more water (in effect, returning to the recipe's ratio).

Everything turned out well. The flavor of the cardamom (sweet and somewhat lemony), along with the other spices lent a tasty essence to the rice. Delicious! The aroma, heavenly. She enjoyed her rice and sent Michele good thoughts.

Content with her Basmati and Nut Pilaf recipe, the girl lived happily ever after.

The End. To be continued.

Paz

Basmati and Nut Pilaf
1 ¼ cups basmati rice

1 onion chopped

1 garlic crushed

1 large carrot, grated

1-2 tbsp sunflower oil

1 tsp cumin seeds

2 tsp ground coriander

2 tsp black mustard seeds

4 cardamom pods

2 cups stock or water

1 bay leaf

salt and pepper to taste

cashews --a handful or two, or however many you like. Salted or unsalted whichever is your preference.

Wash rice. Fry the onion, garlic and carrot in oil. Add rice and spices and cook another 2 minutes or so. Pour in stock or water, add bay leaf and season. Bring to a boil. Cover and simmer gently for about 10 minutes. Remove bay leaf an cardamom pods. Add the nuts.

New York Monday #3 - T.V. and First Snow

Those of you who are familiar with the American television sitcom Seinfeld (which ran from 1990-1998) will recognize the photos below. Are the reruns shown abroad?

The first photo is a shot of the restaurant in which the television characters frequent on the show. On T.V. all you see are the words Restaurant/Restaurant, but the full name of the place is "Tom's Restaurant," and that's what you see in reality.

The second photo is also related to the Seinfeld show. The owner of the Soup Man restaurant inspired an episode.

The last photo of Starbucks has nothing to do with the T.V. show. I've included it for Tattum, who I know likes the coffee shop. ;-)

I planned on ending on this note, however, we had the first snow of the season on Sunday. So, I'm including some "first snow" photos.

Best,
Paz

Weekend Herb Blogging # 9 - Sage

The herb sage is rich in history. According to Wikipedia, the online encyclopedia, “The Romans considered sage to be a sacred herb and concocted a whole elaborate ceremony just to pick it. A sage gatherer would have to use a special knife (not made of iron as it reacts with the sage), have to have clean clothes and clean feet and a sacrifice of food would have to be made before he could begin. The Romans would use it for toothpaste; they also believed it to be good for the brain, senses and memory.

The Chinese also were quite partial to this herb. 17th century Dutch merchants found that they would trade one chest of sage leaves for three of their teas.”

You can find more information about sage here.

Normally when I buy fresh herbs to use in a dish, after I use them once, the remainder ends up sitting in the fridge and spoils unless I have other recipes in which to utilize them (I guess you can add this to my list of kitchen confessions.).

This week, I had lots of sage in my fridge and in trying not to waste it, I searched for a new recipe that included the herb. I found this Breakfast Potatoes with Sage recipe. Despite the title, I made the dish for dinner and found it filling. It's a good excuse to eat at any mealtime – breakfast, lunch or dinner. So, here’s one more good reason to use sage.

Paz

Breakfast Potatoes with Sage

3 tablespoons chopped sage

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 pounds red potatoes cut into about 6-8 wedges (do not peel)

1 teaspoon seasoned salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit

In a large bowl, stir together oil, potatoes, salt, pepper, and 2 tablespoons of the sage. Mix until thoroughly coated. Pour a small amount of water in a shallow pan or baking sheet and top with potatoes, spreading them out evenly. Cover tightly with aluminum foil. Roast potatoes for 15 minutes. Remove foil and roast 15 minutes more. Turn potatoes. Roast 10 to 15 minutes more until crisp. Sprinkle with remaining tablespoon of sage and serve.

Ed. note: Check out Kayln's Kitchen, Sunday, for the roundup of other herb blogging posts.

Weekend Dog Blogging # 12

Are you looking at us?

Ed. note: Head over to Sweetnicks, Sunday evening, to see a roundup of other weekend dog blogging posts.

The Gift of Wine Meme